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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23214742">and i sit there and watch, as feathers fall on the ceiling</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/croissantbleu/pseuds/croissantbleu'>croissantbleu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>forced landings [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Apples, Established Relationship, Family Dynamics, Fluff, M/M, Monopoly (Board Game), Post-Canon, Slice of Life, this is all around a year after part 1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:22:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,253</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23214742</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/croissantbleu/pseuds/croissantbleu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shouyou goes to sit next to her after getting his own cup, stretching out his bad leg over Atsumu’s knees in the chair right beside him. Atsumu puts a hand over his ankle, more out of habit than a conscious decision. Natsu makes a face, but she doesn’t say anything. Atsumu thinks having her and his brother in the same room is definitely going to be a recipe for disaster.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>forced landings [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1669057</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>223</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>and i sit there and watch, as feathers fall on the ceiling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“This is a bad idea,” Atsumu says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou squeezes his hand. “You said it would be nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Moment of weakness. I was a fool. You know I think your sister is cool and all but, like, Osamu and her in the same room? Yeah, no. I think my hands are shaking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are! Look,” he takes his hands from Shouyou’s grasp and displays them in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’re not. Fuck. He can tell Shouyou is trying not to smile, and doing a bad job at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They were earlier,” he says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Shouyou says to indulge him. “If you’re really not feeling it we can still call it off, it’s not like we really planned this, anyways. They just happened to both visit at the same time, we didn’t make a blood pact or anything. Here, I’ll let you tell your brother I’m sick if you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu briefly thinks he’s gotten too lucky in this lifetime and the next will have to be a nightmare to compensate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou’s right. They came to the station to pick up Natsu and they’re just waiting for her train to get there, but Osamu is managing on his own. He’s got business to do, or whatever. They’d planned for the four of them to get together tomorrow because it seemed inevitable that they’d have to meet at some point - and also because Natsu is a fan of Onigiri Miya, according to Shouyou - but they </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>still call it off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” he sighs. “It’s fine. I mean, I’m fine, I’ve dealt with the guy for all this time, but you haven’t seen him in like… ages. And your sister has never met him. I’m just worried for you guys, y’know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou’s head tilts to the side. “Are you just worried he’s going to embarrass you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Atsumu protests. A little too vehemently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That is precisely what he’s worried about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it, right?” Shouyou grins at the redness Atsumu feels creeping up his neck, and reaches up to poke at his cheek. “C’mon, you saw Natsu last time she was here, she was way worse than when you came to visit. She spent all afternoon talking about weird stuff I did as a kid, and she’ll do it again. It’s only fair I hear about some of yours, too!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, fine,” Atsumu caves. “But we’re not talking about whatever these two bring up, alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a deal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s a deal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both turn to look at Natsu standing next to them, backpack hanging off her shoulder. Shouyou brings her into a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that all you have?” Atsumu asks, nodding towards her bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah,” she shrugs. “I’m used to carrying our equipment whenever we go practice against other football clubs, so I travel light. I’m just staying a couple days, anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu thinks he could barely fit his hair products in a bag like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou laughs. “I don’t think all your hair stuff would even fit in there, Atsumu. They take up like, half of the bathroom. Travelling light just isn’t an option with him,” he adds, looking at Natsu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Atsumu protests, but it only makes Shouyou smile wider. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would say it’s not true, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>just think the same thing. And he doesn’t have much credibility on that, Shouyou is generous in saying they take half the bathroom. It’s closer to two thirds. It’s a very tiny bathroom, and Atsumu did considerable damage to his hair and scalp for years and has to deal with the consequences of that now. But he refuses to stop bleaching it, hence the mountain of hair products.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get going,” is all he ends up saying, and he rolls his eyes when he sees Shouyou giving Natsu a high-five before they start walking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bet your physical therapist is glad you’re still using your cane,” she says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He just uses it to get out of carrying anything,” Atsumu says, drawing from Shouyou the exact sound of protestation he was aiming for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really, Shouyou?” Natsu shakes her head. “That isn’t very fair of you, I’m disappointed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you’re the younger one, stop pretending you’re more responsible! And I only do it to annoy Atsumu, so it doesn’t even count. You can’t team up against me, that isn’t allowed,” he complains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu shares a grin with Natsu and puts his arm around Shouyou’s shoulders, lips brushing against his temple in that way that never fails to make his whole face go red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I hate you,” Shouyou groans, but the way he leans against Atsumu says otherwise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, that’s enough PDA for like, the rest of the week,” Natsu intervenes with a grimace. “Aren’t adults supposed to be less gross with that? I almost miss the couples in school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You only say that because you’re single,” Shouyou says in a tone that suggests he’s trying to be the mature one for once, and not stick his tongue out at her. It’s one Atsumu has grown very familiar with. “Unless there’s someone you didn’t tell me about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, we are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>discussing the state of my romantic life or I’m going back home immediately,” Natsu warns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sounds serious. He hears Shouyou stifle a laugh before he disentangles himself from Atsumu’s arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw c’mon, you didn’t get all the way here to leave already!” He goes to mess up Natsu’s hair but she dodges in time. “I promise I’ll be nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, everyone behaves, now we need to get home before we get caught in peak commute time,” Atsumu ushers them forward. “Natsu, do you want me to take your bag?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No thanks, I’m good! See Shouyou, maybe you should follow Atsumu’s example sometimes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu thinks it’s the first time he’s told than somebody else should follow his example and not the other way around. He isn’t sure what to make of that. He feels like he’s getting old.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They make it to the flat in Shimokita in one piece, somehow, avoiding rush hour by a margin too small for Atsumu’s tastes. He really, really doesn’t like commuting. There’s always too many people and there’s never any space or any way to be comfortable. It’s annoying. That’s partly why they decided to stay in Shouyou’s flat, because it’s closer to the gymnasium than the one Atsumu was staying in, and also partly because it’s slightly bigger, and because they both really like the neighbourhood. And the owner of the charity shop downstairs is nice. She reminds him of his grandma. It’s nice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nice,” Natsu says when she walks in, immediately going over to the plants by the window. “Who’s keeping these alive?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Akaashi,” Atsumu replies, absentmindedly looking through the mail he picked up. “That was his gift for me moving in, and Bokuto and him come around pretty often. I think he mostly wants an excuse to check on his plants which, fair enough, y’know. We’re not too good with them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrible</span>
  </em>
  <span> with them,” Shouyou says from the kitchen. “I mostly manage not to kill them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m doing my best!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Atsumu, you tried to water them with soap water.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, no, you’re making me sound bad now, that was an honest mistake and you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>it,” he argues, finally looking up from the papers he’s holding to find Shouyou in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but still,” Shouyou smiles. “Tea?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Atsumu mumbles, taking the cup he’s giving him. “Oh, and that’s for you,” he hands him an envelope. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Oh, from the school. Thank you. Natsu, tea?” Shouyou asks, tucking the letter in his back pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natsu looks at both of them for a second or two. Atsumu wonders what she’s thinking about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, please. Y’know, you’re supposed to serve your guests before the rest of your household,” she says eventually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re my kid sister,” Shouyou doesn’t skip a beat, giving her her cup. “You never count as a guest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rude,” she says in a chime, carefully blowing air on her drink and making her way to the couch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou goes to sit next to her after getting his own cup, stretching out his bad leg over Atsumu’s knees in the chair right beside him. Atsumu puts a hand over his ankle, more out of habit than a conscious decision. Natsu makes a face, but she doesn’t say anything. Atsumu thinks having her and his brother in the same room is definitely going to be a recipe for disaster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still up for tomorrow?” Shouyou asks him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmh, yeah. Can’t be that bad, right? Haven’t seen ‘Samu in a while, either. And, that’ll give you something to brag about, right?” he adds, looking at Natsu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, for sure,” she grins. “I told Yuu and his sister, Ayako, that I was coming to visit but that's it. She's from another school because she lives with their grandparents, she's in the football club that we played last month, I told you about it, right?" she turns to Shouyou, who nods. "They were </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> good and we lost but! We stayed in contact because she's really cool, and we're having another practice match in a few weeks so she said I had to tell her everything then." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t go disappointing her then, right?” Shouyou says, and he’s got that tone he does when he’s waiting for the first opening to start relentlessly annoying the other person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu has fallen victim to this enough times that he feels a duty to side with Natsu against him, and flicks him on the ankle before he can add anything else. Shouyou sticks his tongue at him in retaliation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to make a dessert for tomorrow,” Atsumu says, “if anyone has any suggestions?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Apples are back in season,” Shouyou mentions. He’s got that perfectly innocent voice he always uses when he really wants to have his way. Atsumu hasn’t quite built a resistance to that one yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just want me to make apple pie again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe,” he breaks into a smile. “Why, is that a problem?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Atsumu mumbles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He takes a sip of his tea, more an excuse to hide behind the cup than anything else, and burns his tongue. Shouyou laughs. Natsu snorts behind her hand. Atsumu wonders how the Hinata family can be so sweet and yet so ruthless with him. He feels like there’s some irony in there somewhere, but he’s too distracted by the way Shouyou’s eyes crinkle up to think of looking for it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu usually is the first one awake. Sometimes he’ll go for a morning run, while it’s still quiet outside, but sometimes he’ll wake up with Shouyou’s arm draped over his chest or his ankle hooked around his leg, and he’ll decide that it can’t hurt to stay in bed for another ten minutes or thirty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The weather hurts," is the first thing Shouyou had said, groggy and still half asleep, the first time Atsumu stayed the night, the tense pinch in his eyebrows obvious even with his face pressed against Atsumu’s arm. "I know," Atsumu had said. He didn't know. He only knew the strain in Shouyou's voice when it had been raining or it unexpectedly had gotten colder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou’s still bad at saying when he’s in pain, stubborn enough to think he can tough it out and wait until it fades. Atsumu thinks it’s driving him crazy, that way he has of finding a hundred and ten excuses to justify not asking for help, but he knows Shouyou wouldn’t listen if he mentioned it. So he’s learned to notice the details that betray him, the vague glazed over look in his eyes or the way he stands straighter than usual.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It still happens, mornings like today where he can’t find an incentive to move away from Shouyou’s face buried in his shoulder (he should, he really should, because he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows </span>
  </em>
  <span>Shouyou drools in his sleep and it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>gross</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but the overlap between things he should do and what he actually does is very, very small) and where he can hear the catch in Shouyou’s breathing that means it’s going to be a rough morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wake up,” he says quietly, hand tracing along Shouyou’s jawand brushing the hair away from his forehead. “I can hear your sister in the living room. It would be rude to stay in bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou just groans and leans into the touch. Atsumu sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You leave me no choice,” he says, exaggerating the regret in his voice as he rolls over and stands up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, wait, wait,” Shouyou suddenly opens his eyes. “Wait, no, I’m-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu rips the covers off the bed before he can finish his sentence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“- awake.” Shouyou frowns at him. “You’re a monster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning to you too,” Atsumu chirps, and for a second he feels like Shouyou is considering the benefits of pushing him through the window. “It’s your turn to make breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No it’s not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, it is. And stop stealing my shirts,” he adds before opening the door and ducking into the bathroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he comes out into the living room, Natsu is already sitting at the table and gives him an enthusiastic wave when she sees him. Shouyou looks more like a human being behind the wall that hides the kitchen. Atsumu slips past him to grab a glass and hands him a heating pack. Shouyou sticks his tongue out at him but cracks a little smile, and Atsumu walks back around the wall in the living room after picking up an apple and biting into it. Natsu makes a face at him. He thinks the Hinata siblings are almost more trouble than they’re worth. Almost.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(Atsumu broke a mug the first week after they moved in together. Calling it a fight would be unfair, because nothing had </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it was more just working out a few tensions that had risen without either of them really noticing. It was one thing when Atsumu staying the night was an occasional occurrence, but it was different to have both of them living there as an everyday thing. Not bad, but different. It took some getting used to, and it was evident by then that neither of them was exactly good at communicating. Atsumu wished he could go back to Akaashi for advice, but part of him thought figuring things out on his own would be important, too. Or maybe he just had too much pride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu had to relearn being supportive without being overbearing, and Shouyou had to remember that even if he still wasn’t all that great at it, he was trying his best. Which was exactly what he shouted when he dropped the mug and Shouyou had told him to be more careful. “I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>trying</span>
  </em>
  <span>”. “I know,” Shouyou had said after a moment. Atsumu cleaned up all the broken bits on the floor. They haven’t talked about it since.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Osamu hasn’t been late a single day in his life, as far as Atsumu can remember, he’s always exactly on time. It’s just another thing Atsumu can’t stand about him. So, obviously, there’s a knock on the door right when the hour strikes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou’s the one to go open, Atsumu just getting the pies out of the oven (he burns his hand on the tray and he can hear Natsu snort when he runs cold water over it). He can just about make out Shouyou inviting his brother inside and the sound of the door closing behind them right before he ducks out of the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Took ya long enough,” he says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t that the time we decided?” Osamu doesn’t even bother to raise an eyebrow to go with his tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu is about to reply, probably something stupid, but Shouyou walks up to him and comments on the pies smelling really good, and Atsumu has to put his hands on his shoulders to stop him from coming in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not stealing any of them now,” he warns. Shouyou pouts. Atsumu has had to learn not to give in to that - at least when it comes to baking. “Help me set up the table before they get cold, instead. Natsu, d’you mind showing ‘Samu around real quick? I have to keep an eye on your brother, y’know how it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natsu gives him a thumbs up and a look like she knows exactly how it is. Atsumu thinks this probably goes both ways, but he’ll take it. He gets back into the kitchen, determined to keep Shouyou away from the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooooh these look so good!” he chirps, slipping away from Atsumu’s grasp to peep at the pies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Atsumu catches him by the wrist before he can poke at one of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But they look like real apples! How did you do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The excitement in his voice is so genuine that Atsumu catches himself smiling. Well, damn. He lets go of his wrist and rests his elbow on his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wasn’t that hard,” he says. It’s kind of a lie. It’s a bit of a tricky recipe but he’s mastered it well enough over time. And, maybe he wants Shouyou to keep looking at him like he’s got stars in his eyes. What about it? “It’s just pretty long , honestly. You have to cook the apples first, but not too much, wrap the dough around them and shape it properly, with the little leaves and all, and bake it again. Didn’t have time to make the dough from scratch though, that would have been better. I’ll show you one day, if you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're so cool," Shouyou says in a sigh, leaning back against him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu dips to press a kiss to the top of his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not cool enough that I can skip on being a good host, unfortunately," he mumbles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou turns around and smiles a little, reaches out to brush away a strand of hair that fell on Atsumu's forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We should get going then, huh?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu hums, can't help but lean into the touch for a second. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," he says eventually, forcing open the eyes he didn't realize he'd closed. "Can you pass me the plates from that drawer?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou flashes him a grin, and Atsumu has the fleeting thought that he should not be allowed to have that effect on him still, it really just isn't fair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"On it." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to murder you in your sleep,” Atsumu says, and he hopes it sounds like a promise because it definitely is one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pies are long gone by now, not having lasted more than a few minutes on the table and even earning a quiet hum from Osamu, which is as close to a compliment Atsumu will probably ever get from him. He’d almost be touched if Osamu hadn’t made a comment about the crust being soggy at the bottom - which it </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he’d been especially careful about that - and Shouyou’s hand on his arm had been the only thing keeping him from jumping over the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natsu had the brilliant idea to bring out the portable Monopoly game she’d brought along, and Atsumu is now steadily on his way to bankruptcy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have a key,” Osamu points out, not bothering to look up from the board.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu can count on both hands the number of times he’s wanted to shut him up more than he does now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can still find a way in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your baseless threats mean nothing to me. Give me my money.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu grits his teeth but hands the bills over. “You’ve got to be cheating,” he mumbles under his breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hears Shouyou disguise a laugh as a cough next to him, leaning back against his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeez, if I’d known you were such a sore loser I would’ve let you pair up with Shouyou,” Natsu sighs. “You both still would’ve lost, but maybe it would’ve been less painful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a sore loser,” Atsumu protests, and Shouyou laughs at him again. Atsumu flicks him on the arm in retaliation. “I’m just saying, I know ‘Samu’s a cheater.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re talking about yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Again, Atsumu is about less than a second away from throwing one of the hotels straight in his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon,” Shouyou says, bumping his shoulder against his. “I’ve seen you make a comeback in matches with worse odds than that. Rely on your strategy and not on luck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu thinks he could kiss him right now, but he doesn’t. “You don’t get to say that when you have like, three times as much money as I do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a natural talent,” Shouyou shoots him a bright smile. “And, no, I won’t give you any of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu shoves him off, which only makes him giggle. Natsu proudly announces she got the chance card that means they all have to pay her. Everyone lets out a groan in protestation. Shouyou tries to bargain a discount for being her older brother, but he quickly backs off when she threatens to demand more money from him for that. Atsumu thinks she can really be terrifying when she wants to. There is little doubt in his mind that she’ll run them all into debt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Predictably, Atsumu is the first one to go bankrupt. Unpredictably, it’s because Shouyou ended up losing everything to his sister and the empire she built by acquiring all the most expensive properties, and Atsumu says he’ll give him the little money he still has so Shouyou can stay in the game. Osamu looks at him like he’s a stranger that just happens to look like his twin brother, but that seems to be resolved by Atsumu throwing a house at him and hitting him square on the chin. Atsumu shrugs and says he’s getting bored but, really, he kind of likes the little concentrated frown on Shouyou’s face when he’s hoping the dice will roll well. And, maybe he also really likes the way Shouyou looks at him whenever he does something a little nice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(“I don’t mind you being a dick,” Shouyou told him once. He looked like he was standing on the ceiling from Atsumu’s perspective, sitting upside down on the couch, legs on the headrest and head dangling close to the floor. He doesn’t remember what prompted the conversation, just that there was a smile line next to Shouyou’s right eye he’d never noticed before. “I mean I also like when you’re not a dick, but I don’t want that to be just because you think I can’t handle it, or something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu blinked. It was surprisingly hard when gravity was working against him. “I know,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you nicer to me, duh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu blinked again. And once more. A cloud must have passed outside, because there was a funny shadow stretching on the ceiling behind Shouyou, that he wouldn’t have seen if he had been sat normally. Truth was, he always had kind of a soft spot for Shouyou. Maybe it was because he was so interesting to play against in highschool. Maybe it was something else about him. Either way, he didn’t want to be as much of a dick to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dunno. Just feel like it. But you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>nice</span>
  </em>
  <span>, like, all the time. Except when you’re trying to make fun of me, I know you just do that on purpose.” Shouyou laughed a little at that. “So y’know, maybe it’s just that.” He didn’t mention that the smile Shouyou gave him whenever he wasn’t being a dick was probably the first thing he had fallen in love with. He would’ve just teased him endlessly for it and he had enough ammunition against him. “But you know I never thought you were weak, right? Wait, no, there’s that time I called you a scrub before our first match, but for my defense you were like, two heads shorter than me and right after than you </span>
  <em>
    <span>forgot</span>
  </em>
  <span> to hit the ball during your quick. But I realized I was wrong soon enough anyways, so that really doesn’t count.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to bring that up,” Shouyou said, but with a smile. “But thanks. I know you were just scared of me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, you tell yourself that. And y’know, I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> a dick to other people, either. Just Sakusa, ‘cause it’s funny. And Bokuto but that’s because he drives me insane, I don’t know how Akaashi puts up with him. There! I’m nice to Akaashi. He’s chill.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, yeah. You have a point. You should sit straight or your head’s going to explode.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> about to sit back up, because he was starting to see double, but the instinct to do the opposite of what he was told kicked in. “That’s not true,” he said like that wasn’t obvious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Shouyou conceded. “But I can’t kiss you if you stay like that.”)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Predictably, Natsu wins easily. Shouyou comes in second, claiming he could have won if Atsumu hadn’t been leaning against him and whispering the worst strategies he could have thought of in his ear. Atsumu says </span>
  <em>
    <span>he’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> the sore loser now, and laughs when he can’t duck out of the way fast enough to avoid the pile of fake bills Shouyou throws at him and just accepts his fate. Osamu congratulates Natsu on her strategy and tells her she’ll go far in life. Atsumu isn’t sure how much of that he can tell by a single Monopoly game, but he bites his tongue when he sees the delight that blooms on Natsu’s face. She’s a kid. He can let her have this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu walks Osamu to the door while the Hinata siblings clean up the Monopoly mess they made. Atsumu thinks it’s the winners’ punishment, and also retribution for always teaming up against him. It's later than any of them realized, afternoon having faded into the early hours of the evening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey," Osamu says when he’s standing outside the door. "Don't fuck this up." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, jeez, thanks," Atsumu rolls his eyes. "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't said that." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, shut up for once. I mean it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don't </span>
  </em>
  <span>fuck this up. He's good on you and, by some fucking miracle, I think you're good on him too. You could almost pass for a decent person now," he says with a rare crooked grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu has to repress the vague urge of kicking him in the teeth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, again, I didn't need you to tell me that. Thanks? But also fuck you. Call Grandma when you get home." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sure," Osamu shrugs and turns to leave. "Oh, and," his voice drops to quieter levels. "I did cheat. Bye." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It takes him a second to register what he just said. "Hey! You're such a piece of shit!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Osamu flips him off without looking back. Atsumu's glad the charity shop is closed. He doubts the owner would be too fond of such language. He almost think he's hearing Osamu say something about how he's finally growing up, but he decides that's too weird to be true. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's up?" Shouyou's voice comes from behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nothing. Twin bullshit. 'Samu's an asshole. Nothing new here," he shrugs and closes the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Brothers are a pain," Natsu shouts from the couch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou sighs and Atsumu feels him rest his forehead against his back, arms coming to lock around his waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She used to be so nice," he complains in a breath. "No, that's not true. She's always been the same. But she has her moments." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu smiles. "Siblings, huh?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou nods. Atsumu thinks he seems tired. Or maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> is tired. He feels like today has lasted forever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"C'mon," he says after a second, reluctantly removing Shouyou's hands and turning around. "We should get dinner going." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mmh. Let's just order in." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I vote for that too!" Natsu calls out again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu laughs. "Both of you are just terrible influences. Okay, fine, I'm too tired, have it your way." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natsu lets out a cheer. Shouyou joins in. Atsumu is tempted to just lie down on the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Natsu says for two more days before they take her back to the train station in the late afternoon. Atsumu can't say she was a bother at all, but he does welcome the return of some quiet in their flat. Maybe "quiet" isn't the term, maybe having Shouyou's sister around and seeing how they act with each other just tugs at a part of him he didn't know was there. Maybe he should call his grandmother. Maybe he should call his mother, too. But, not now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, he just wants to fall back into his usual routine. It's easier this way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wakes up after Shouyou this time, a rare enough occasion that it takes him a second or wondering if he slept in or if Shouyou is up unusually early for some reason, before thinking to ask. Shouyou's hand coming to play with his hair almost distracts him enough that he doesn't hear what he says. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You slept in. You looked like you needed the extra sleep, and I know you don't have practice this morning, so I didn't wake you. Should I have?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No," he hides his face against Shouyou's shoulder. "Thanks."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou just hums, light tune from somewhere high in his throat, the one he uses whenever the Black Jackals lose a particularly frustrating match and Atsumu comes back a little grumpier than he'd want, or for mornings like today when he feels a little extra clingy and Shouyou is happy enough to indulge him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We've got time," Shouyou says, hand still carding through Atsumu's hair. "You can get back to sleep for a bit. I'll wake you up before it's too late." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nah, it's fine. I'm awake. But…" he pauses for a second. "Stay with me for a bit?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You say that like it's a chore," he sounds amused. "Yeah, think I can do that. But I demand some dessert sometime this week." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu cracks a smile. "You're ruthless. I can work with that." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nice! I love getting you to make dessert." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Only if you take care of dinner." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. But only because you'll burn it again if you try. It was nice having Natsu here," he continues, ignoring Atsumu's protestations, "but I have to say. Teenagers are a lot." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu can't hold back a laugh. "Shouyou, you're 24. I don't think you get to complain about teenagers yet." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Says who? I think I should get to. Everyone who has been a teenager gets to complain about them a little bit, that’s a rule somewhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t. You still act like one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! That’s not true! Don’t be mean,” Shouyou protests, flicking him on the shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m never mean to you,” Atsumu mumbles. Despite what he said, he can feel himself falling back asleep, lulled by the repetitive pattern Shouyou’s fingers are tracing on his back, his words slurring just a little. “Can be an asshole, but not mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouyou hums again. “No, that’s true. Oh, I told you about the kids at the club, right? The two first years that don’t get along, they’re kind of like Tsukishima and Kageyama back then. But I think we’re making progress now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atsumu continues to slowly drift off, listening to Shouyou talk about the kids pulling off a new attack together and having to work past their difficulties, until his voice and the touch of his hand fades away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knows Shouyou will wake him up before it gets too late.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!<br/>I hadn't planned for a sequel to the first part but, here we are. I had fun writing this! I hope you enjoyed it. I have to add again that English isn't my first language so I really do apologize if I let a mistake or two slip through.<br/>Please don't hesitate to leave your thoughts in the comments and/or come find me on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/transkrpk">@transkrpk</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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